Hay-press.



PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

T. R. HACKWORTH.

HAY PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.24,1905.

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lllFElFF RN Rm m m M w w T a \27 \w Witn esses @W MW THOMAS REED'HACKWORTH, OF SOUTH PITTSBURG, TENNESSEE.

HAY-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

Application filed February 24:, 1905. Serial No. 247,169.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS REED HACK- WORTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Pittsburg, in the county of Marion and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Hay-Press, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for pressing hay and like products; and has for its object to improve the construction and produce a device of this character whereby the power is applied with increased economy and with descreased friction and wear upon the parts.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters, is illustrated the preferred form of the embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practicaloperation, it being understood that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto, as various changes in the shape, proportions, and general assemblage of the parts may be resorted to without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

In the drawings thus employed, Figure 1 is a plan view, partially in section, and Fig. 2 is a sectional side view, of a hay-press with the improvements applied. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of the operating-arm detached. Fig. 4 is a side view of the trip-lever arm detached. Fig. 5 is a perspective view, enlarged, of a section of one of the retarding-strips.

The framework of the apparatus is of the usual form, comprising the press-box portion 10, having the feed-hopper 11, and from one side of which the baling-box 12 extends and from the other side of which extends the baseframe portion 13 for supporting the power mechanism.

The plunger is mounted for reciprocation in the press-box, and consists of two layers 14 15 of wood disposed with the grain in reverse order and securely bolted together and also bolted, as at 17 to the beam 18, extending rearwardly in the usual manner. Bolted, as at 19, to the beam 18 and likewise to the rear of the plunger, as at 20, is a shorter beam member 21, the two beam members having registering cavities in their adjacent faces to receive a transverse block 22. The base member 13 is provided with a stop-block 23, against which the rear end of the shorter beam member 21 bears to limit the rearward movement of the plunger and against which the beams and plunger are yieldably held by a spring 24. The plunger is provided with the usual stop plate 25 to prevent the contents of the hopper falling in the rear of the same When in its forward position or during the stroke. The beam 18 and its attached plunger being suddenly released at the end of the stroke, the return stroke is made very suddenly by the reactionary force of the spring 24: and throws the rear end of the shorter beam 21 forcibly against the stop member 23, and this force, as will be obvious by the construction herein shown, is borne largely by the block 22, and thereby distributed between the beam members and the plunger member relieved from the effect of the sudden checking at the end of the return stroke. By this simple arrangement a very strong and durable plunger construction is produced which will effectually resist the severe strains to which such devices are generally subjected.

Attached to the floor and also to the top of the baling-box 12 are spaced metal wear-strips 26, the latter provided with spaced transverse clefts, with the material released by the clefts turned outward to form inclined tongues 27 over which the gavels or feeds of the material being pressed and also the completed bales will freely pass in an outward direction, but will be prevented from rearward movement by engaging the sharp protruding ends of the tongues.

Pivoted, as at 28, in the press-box 10 at the point where the baling-box leaves the same is a crimping member 29, preferably triangular in transverse section and extending into the path of the material as it is forced into the baling-box by the forward stroke of the plunger. The member 29 is spring controlled, as at 30, and is thus supported yieldably in its projected position.

As the plunger moves forward the material passing beneath the member 29 swings it rearwardly out of theway, and as the plunger suddenly recedes at the return stroke the rebound of the pressed material assisted by the springs 30 will suddenly return the member 29 to its former position and hold the pressed material firmly in the baling-box and also fold all the loose material downward upon the last gavel or feed and prevent it frominterfering with the next stroke of the plunger.

At the outer or rear end of the base portion 13 a base-plate 31 is bolted, as at 32, and provided with a vertical standard 33, havinga lateral arm 34 extending from its upper end with a vertical stud 35 between the free end of the arm and the base-plate and a vertical stud 36 extending above the standard. The standard 33 is located at one side of the center of the plate 31 and the stud 35 substantially at the center of the plate, the object to be hereinafter explained. Mounted for rotation upon the stud 36 is an arm 37, upon which the sweep or tongue 38 is bolted, as at 39, and with downwardly-curving ends terminating in semiglobular hubs 4O 41, the hubs for rotatively supporting rollers 42 43 having cavities corresponding to the hubs and supported for rotation thereon by tie-bolts 44 45. By this means the lateral strains are borne almost entirely by the relatively large globular hubs and the tie-bolts relieved very largely from the strains, as will be obvious.

Mounted to swing by one end from the stud 35 is a trip-arm 46, to the free end of which is pivoted the free end of the beam 18, as at 47, by spaced straps 48 49. The cam-arm is provided with a transverse recess 50 adjacent to the outer end and slightly greater in width than the rollers 42 43 to permit the latter to pass at the end of the stroke, and thus release the beam and permit the return stroke by the reaction of the spring 24.

By this arrangement as the sweep is rotated the rollers 42 43 alternately and intermittently engage the cam-arm 46 and rotate it upon its stud 35 until the roller which for the time being is acting on the arm reaches the opening 50, through which it will pass and release the beam to be returned by the force of the spring 24, as will be obvious. It will be noted by this arrangement that the force is applied to the arm 46 in alinement with its end studs 35 47 and also in alinement with the center of the beam 18, thereby preventing all lateral or torsional strains upon the studs, and consequently materially lessening the tendency of the comparatively weak pivot members to bend or break. This is an important advantage and not only materially strengthens the structure, but enables me to construct a device of increased strength at a reduced cost for maintenance, as the tendency to breakage and wear is so much reduced, as will be obvious. By this arrangement also the parts may be constructed of lighter material than in devices of this character as heretofore constructed without lessening the strength or durability because of the elimination of the torsional and side strains, as above noted. Another advantage gained by this arrangement of parts is the novel arrangement of the pivot pin or stud 35 in substantial longitudinal alinement with the center of the press-box and bale-box, so that at thefinal or finish end of the stroke of the plunger the beam 18 and the triparm 46 are also in longitudinal alinement with each other and with the press-box and bale-box, whereby the final portion of the stroke and the strongest part of the same are exerted squarely upon the bale, and thereby insuring the symmetrical form of the same, thus utilizing the full strength and power of the trip-arm and levers.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a pressbox having a baling-box extending from one end and a supporting base-frame extending from the other end, a plunger for reciprocation in said press-box and having an'operat ing-beam extending therefrom, a spring con nected to yieldably maintain said beam and plunger in withdrawn position, a stud extending from said base-frame in central alinement with said press-box, a trip-arm pivoted at one end to said base-frame with the body of triparm in alinement with the body of the beam and with a transverse recess near its free end, means for connecting the free end of said beam to the free end of said trip-arm and in central alinement therewith, and a crank-arm mounted for rotation and provided with a roller at the free end for engaging the body of said trip-arm centrally and passing through said recess at the terminal. of the forward stroke to release the trip-arm.

2. The combination in a device of the class described, of a press-box having a spring-controlled plunger and operating-beam mounted for reciprocation, and with a base-frame extending rearwardly therefrom, a trip-arm pivoted by one end and movably connected'by the free end to said beam and provided with a transverse recess near said free end, a crankarm having depending ends terminating in semiglobular hubs, rollers having semispherical cavities engaging said hubs andmaintained rotatively thereon by binding-bolts, said rollers engaging said trip-arm and pass ing through said recess at the end of the stroke, whereby the lateral strains are borne by the hubs and the pivot-pins relieved from lateral strains.

3. In a device of the class described, a pressbox having a baling-box extending from one end and a supporting base-frame extending from the other end and provided with a transverse stop, a plunger mounted for reciprocation in said press-box, a beam extending rearwardly of said plunger and provided with a transverse recess, a stop member rigidly secured to said beam and bearing against said base-stop when the plunger is in withdrawn position and provided with a transverse recess for registration with the recess in said beam, a transverse chock for fitting in said recesses, a spring for holding said beam and its at- IZC tached stop member yieldably in withdrawn position, and tripping means for moving said beam and its attached plunger and stop memher in. one direction and releasing the same for the return movement by the action of said spring.

L. In a device of the class described, a pressbox having a baling-box extending from one end and a supporting base-frame extending from the other end and provided with a transverse stop, a plunger for reciprocation in said press-box and having an operating-beam extending therefrom provided with a transverse recess, a stop member rigidly secured to said beam for bearing against said base-stop when the beam is in withdrawn position and provided with a transverse recess for registration with the recess in said beam, a transverse chock fitting in said recess, a spring connected to yieldably maintain said beam and plunger in withdrawn position, a stud extending from said base frame in central alinement with said press-box, atrip-arm pivoted by one end to said stud with the body of the trip-arm opposite the body of the beam and with a transverse recess near its free end, straps attached to opposite sides of the free end of said beam and pivoted to theopposite sides of the free end of said trip-arm, and a crank-arm mounted for rotation and provided with a roller at its free end for engaging said trip-arm and passing through said recess at the terminal of the forward stroke to release the trip-arm.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS REED HAOKWORTH.

Witnesses:

B. O. DUGGAN, L. K. DOWNING. 

